As always, if you’re looking for grammar or facts, you’ve come to the wrong place. You might want to try this column or this one.

On with the show.

Really, onward!

Is It PC To Be Irritated By The Ice Bucket Challenge?

Trust me when I say that I’m sure this charity is a wonderful cause and I hope that they find a cure. I truly do. That said, all of these ice dumping videos aren’t about the cause at all. They are about individuals trying to get 15 seconds of fame. If you want to help, then give some money. Isn’t the point of the challenge that you either give money or dump ice on your head? That tells me that everyone dumping ice is either a cheapskate or just wants some attention. Now, which is it? Or do I have this all wrong?

This is how it should be done.

But what does being irritated have to do with gaming Boomjack?

What a great question…, but first,

Vin Diesel Fact: Vin Diesel doesn’t wear a watch. HE decides what time it is.

Gaming Irritations

If you have ever had poison ivy then you know how irritating something so seemingly innocuous can be. It looks like a harmless vine. You take no notice and meaning it no harm, simply brush up against it as you tread through the forest or a local trail or in my case my back yard.

The irritation doesn’t start immediately, but when it does it hits you full on, until you want to scratch the skin right off the affected part of your body. It’s torture.

League of Legends is a lot like poison ivy. It looks harmless enough. The game itself is easy enough to pick up and play at a reasonable level and the basics of the game are relatively intuitive. But, beginning to play League of Legends is just like brushing up against the leaf of the offending ivy.

The community is perhaps the most toxic that I have ever had the misfortune to meet. World of Warcraft had Barrens chat and its own version of blistering pain, but it doesn’t come even remotely close to the level of sheer idiocy and malevolence that exists in League.

There are many factors, none less influential than the fact that every match concludes with your team either winning or losing. As soon as you use winning or losing as the determinate of success there will be insults hurled, vulgarities spewed and rage, lots of rage. MMOs have their issues, but competitive games amplify them.

To be fair to eSports and competitive games, I have found the StarCraft II community to be very welcoming. I’m not sure if it is because the game is one versus one and there is nobody to blame for losing but yourself or if the community itself is just a different crowd. Whatever the reason, we shouldn’t paint the entire eSports community with one brush.

Nor should we paint the entire League community with that same brush. I have met many great people playing League, but the toxic ones are on another level. Where is that mute button again?